The Enternal Covanant & Eternal Life
The Enternal Covanant & Eternal Life
Index
• Introduction
• How do we explain that we know Him?
• The Eternal Covenant
• Conclusion Of The Covenant
• Conditions Of The Covenant
• Further Promises And Warnings
• The Ark Of The Covenant
• A Renewed Covenant
• Conditions And Terms Of The Renewed Covenant
• A Skeleton Comes Alive
• Fulfilment Of The Eternal Covenant
• The Eternal Covenant And Today's Polluted World
Introduction
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night. A wide range of gods are proclaimed and worshipped - from
“the creator God” (although interpretations as to His true identity
and nature varies from group to group), to the worship of even
Satan himself. There are also millions of followers of some or other
‘prophet’ of their choice, and to whom they have imputed certain
divine qualities. The masses however, plod forth without any
religion, unknowingly worshipping money, sex, drugs or ‘self’,
through which they wish to find happiness and success. In this way,
all humanity is committed to some or other ‘god’, even though it
may be ‘self’.
The God whom this publication will endorse, is the One who claims
to be the Source of all Life on earth - the Creator of the Universe
Himself - He who is increasingly becoming known by His
distinguishing Name: YHVH, the God of Israel.
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The contents of this study should serve as a clear guide and a
distinct, fail-safe test of the real requirements for someone to claim
the right to the Divine Promise of Eternal Life.
The term ‘Eternal Life’, is defined in John 17:3 “And this is Life
Eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and
YAHU'SHUAH the Messiah, Whom Thou has sent.”
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Agreement between the Creator and His people Israel, and is
nothing more but a Divine Contract.
A contract is an agreement between the parties committed thereto,
whereby certain rights are obtainable, subject to certain stipulated
requirements . Such a contract may vary from, say, a gift of a
bicycle for Johnny should he pass the exams; to the purchase of a
radio, car, or property on certain specified conditions. Similarly, the
Bible Covenant is a Divine Agreement, according to which the
people of Israel (or anyone who desires to join him/herself, and be
united with Israel under this Divine Covenant), are entitled to certain
Divinely given rights, subject to certain Divinely ordained conditions.
With these two criteria in mind, namely (a) The rights and privileges
with which the Almighty entitles His people, and (b) The conditions
by which Israel should abide, let us now commence our research.
Exodus 19: 3-8 “And Moses went up unto God, and YHVH called
unto him out of the mountain, saying, ‘Thus shall you tell the
children of Israel; ‘... if you will obey My Voice indeed and keep My
Covenant, then you shall be a peculiar Treasure unto Me above all
people, for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be unto Me a
kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation’... And Moses called for the
elders of the people and laid before their faces all these Words
which YHVH commanded him. And all the people answered
together and said: ‘All that YHVH has spoken, we will do. ’"
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Conditions Of The Covenant
The Almighty revealed His Law to Moses, clearly stipulating that the
nation of Israel's part of the Covenant would be the observance of
His Law (Exodus:20 and the following chapters).
Once again, the same rights referred to above, but perhaps more
detailed here. The ‘price’ for this privilege is now also specified, i.e..
to keep the Law with all your heart and soul. Note how this detailed
requirement is repeatedly mentioned in this short Scripture
reference. Note also the following references in the above
Scriptures:
17 Commandments Commandments
Ordinances Judgments
18 Commandments Commandments
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us mistakenly believe. (Refer to Psalm 119 for confirmation of this
fact. This lengthiest of Psalms, extols the Law of the Almighty, using
these terms synonymously and intermittently in each of its 176
verses - including the reference to it as “Thy Word” and “Thy Way”!
Please do not fail to read this Psalm in this context).
Israel listened to the words of Moses and accepted it unanimously
(Exodus 19:8; 24:3). The Almighty in turn then sealed the Divine
Contract with the blood of animals, i.e.. confirmed and signed it
(Exodus 24:4-8).
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The Biblical Covenant may therefore be compared to a personal
transaction of the purchasing of Land by the Israelite in the
Promised Land. The Almighty is the Owner. The price is merely
Obedience to His Law (i.e.. His precepts, Statutes, and Judgments).
Upon “non-payment” of the purchase price (i.e.. lawlessness,
rebellion, or as the Bible describes it: 'unrighteousness'), the
contract (Covenant) is nullified automatically, and the defaulting
purchaser is expelled from the Land. This attribute of conditional
occupation of the Promised Land, can be traced throughout the
Bible with reference to the divine Covenant.
An obvious question which may arise at this stage is: How does the
non-Jew fit into this divine Covenant, and how does the history of
Israel affect the modern day Bible believer?
One of the first milestones for the newly converted individual should
be ‘Mount Sinai’, for being acquainted with the Law of the Almighty.
Just like the ancient Israelites who, through years of slavery were
steeped in pagan practices, had to be brought back to ‘God’s
System of Life’, so we also should receive the Law of Life - for
success, health, prosperity and Peace. In this way, we too may now
fulfil our part of the Covenant.
Just as a whole generation of Israelites had to roam through the
wilderness in order to first die out, having been refused entry to the
Promised Land by God because of their unpreparedness and
disobedience, so also will the believer who fails to submit to the Law
of the Creator, and thus dishonour the Covenant, be denied the right
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to enter into the promised Kingdom of the Almighty. Permanent
residence in the Kingdom of YHVH is strictly subject to Obedience to
His Laws.
This Ark occupied the most important place in the holiest section of
the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and later in the Temple in
Jerusalem. Only the High Priest was allowed to enter into this
‘Holiest’ Section, and once a year only, during the Sacred Festival of
Yom Kippur (“Judgment Day”). In this Section the Glory of the
Almighty glowed, when He was present among His people Israel.
The Law recordings formed the Core around which everything was
centred in the Most Holy of the Temple, under the Throne of YHVH,
and it thus served as Witness of the Divine Covenant with Israel.
It is largely misunderstood that the Covenant was only applicable to
the “Old Testament” system and time, and that Messiah had brought
about a “New” era with a “New (spiritual) Covenant”, thereby
cancelling the original Divine Covenant.
A Renewed Covenant
We have already pointed out that Moses was instructed to build the
Tabernacle according to the pattern of the Heavenly Tabernacle
shown to him. The specific purpose of the Covenant Ark, situated
directly under the Throne of YHVH, was to accommodate God’s Law
which would serve as Witness of the Divine Covenant with His
people Israel. The heavenly Tabernacle is everlasting and
indestructible. YHVH will most certainly keep His Promises to His
people as contained in His Covenant with them, unless He would
choose to do away with the Witness thereto, namely the Content of
the Covenant Ark.
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Misunderstanding and ignorance of the true facts have lead to, what
amounts to an accusation against YHVH, of being guilty of doing just
that. We are referring to the theory that the Covenant has been
replaced by a ‘New’ Covenant which does away with the essence
thereof, namely the Law, and that “the Law has been nailed to the
Cross”. Those who believe this, fail to see that the 'New Covenant'
is simply a Renewed version of the unchangeable Old Covenant'.
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Yet, the Almighty does refer to a 'New' Covenant which He would
make with His people. Scripture itself defines the difference:
Jeremiah 31: 31-33 “See, the days are coming - it is YHVH Who
speaks - when I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel
(and the House of Judah). But not a Covenant like the one I made
with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to bring
them out of the Land of Egypt. They broke that Covenant of Mine,
so I had to show them who was Master. It is YHVH Who speaks. No,
this is the Covenant I will make with the House of Israel when those
days arrive - it is YHVH Who speaks. Deep within them I will plant
My Law, writing it on their hearts. Then I will be their God and they
will be My People.”
Ezekiel 11:18 describes this same futuristic event and confirms the
spiritual nature of this Renewed Covenant in His own Words: “I will
give them a new heart and I will put a new Spirit in them. I will
remove the heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart
of flesh instead, so that they will keep My Laws and respect My
Observances and put them into practise.”
Please note that, according to these references, the Law still is the
core of the Divine Covenant. This time however, it is written on the
hearts and in the minds of His people! In fact, He gives them a
spiritual rejuvenation with the purpose of, or “so that” they keep
and respect all His Laws and practise it.
Just as Israel of old received the Law at Sinai on the feast day of
Shavuot, in order that they could fulfil their part of the Covenant, so
also, by the outpouring of His Spirit on exactly the same feast day in
New Testament times, which became known as Pentecost (Acts 2),
YHVH, according to His Promise, spiritually enables the re-born,
repentant believer, to observe His Laws under the new dispensation
Covenant. However, the choice to accept or reject this spiritual
motivation to Law abiding, still lies with the individual, since the
Almighty will not impose Himself on us.
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Note also, according to the above Scripture, that the Renewed
Covenant is concluded with the House of Israel, just as with the Old
Covenant. However, as already mentioned, It was the specific
purpose of the Almighty through His selection of Israel as His
Covenant people, to demonstrate to the other nations, what His
purpose is for all of humanity in general - not only for Israel. He
wishes to include all of humanity in the Divine Covenant. Israel was
selected to physically demonstrate what the result would be for
being faithful to the Creator or otherwise. As a result, the history of
Israel reflects clearly both Divine Blessing and Divine Discipline.
Through Israel, God would demonstrate His faithfulness to His
Promises; that He would punish them, yet never destroy them
totally. That He would cast them out of their land, and scatter them
across the face of the earth, yet eventually return them in
miraculous fashion to the Land which He solemnly promised them
by divine oath. In this way He would demonstrate His faithfulness to
His Covenant. (Read Ezekiel chapter 20).
Ezekiel 36: 17-19 “... The House of Israel used to live in their own
Land, but they defiled it by their conduct and actions ... I then
discharged My fury at them ... I scattered them among the nations
and dispersed them in foreign countries.”
This banning from the Promised Land had been predicted long ago
(Leviticus 26:33-45) as a disciplinary measure for their breaking of
the Covenant. Even the specific length of time of their banishment
was predicted, namely ‘seven times’ or 2520 years (7x360)
(Leviticus 26:18; Daniel 9:25-26). Daniel chapter 2 refers to this
same period of time during which the Kingdom of Israel would be
taken away from them, by presenting it in the form of a giant human
statue which was shown him in a dream. According to the Bible’s
own interpretation, the image represents the subsequent world
empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and the Roman Empire, as
confirmed by History in the centuries following. After this, the world
rulership would be divided into two camps: East and West, as
(represented by the two legs of the Image), until, during the reign of
various Kings (represented by the toes of the Image), YHVH would
destroy the worldly Kingdom to establish His own Kingdom.
Measured with this ‘yardstick’ of 2520 years, the destruction of the
kingdom of Israel stretches from the establishment of the kingdom
of Nebuchadnezzar (603 BC), when he deported the ten Northern
tribes of Israel, until 1917, when the first World War triggered the
beginning of the gradual return of Israel to the Land. In the same
way that the crumbling of the kingdom of Israel gradually took place
over several decades, so also the restoration thereof took place over
several decades starting from 1917 onward, even to this time. The
measuring rule of 2520 years can be moved forward and backwards,
to connect a beacon in the past with a beacon in the future. The
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establishment of the Kingdom extends over many years and cannot
physically occur in one moment of time.
Likewise, the return of the nation of Israel to their own Land, also
extends over a period of time, beginning at the turn of the 19th to
the 20th century. It was accelerated drastically by the 1st and 2nd
World Wars and is continued to this day. The early 90’s saw
phenomenal moments as masses returned from both Russia and
Ethiopia. The latter occurrence, being ‘black Jews of Ethiopia’, was
seen as miraculous by Israel itself.
According to Scripture, the first to return would be Judah, consisting
of two tribes; thereafter the remaining ten ‘lost’ tribes would follow.
These two groups would then be united in one nation once again
(Ezekiel 37:15-23). Apparently the 10 tribes consist of various
Western nations who are, as yet, unaware of their origin as being
from the original 10 tribes of Northern Israel. They too, form part of
the Eternal Covenant.
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Why Then The Crucifixion?
For the ancient Israelites, the blood of the Paschal lamb was the first
step to their release from bondage as the Covenant nation.
Similarly, the offer of the Crucifixion is the first step for the
repentant sinner to bridge.
Thirdly, in this way the alienated Bride (and anyone else who
accepts the Offer of the Crucifixion for reconciliation with the
Almighty) are brought into the Eternal Covenant, together with
Judah. This time however, in fulfilment of the Prophetic Promise of a
"New Covenant, written in the heart and mind", it is a Spirit driven
era. Scripture clearly determines that anyone who claims to be a
part of the Covenant people, yet does not live according to its
requirements of true Law observance, will most surely disqualify
themselves from the Eternal Promises.
Ezekiel 37: 11-12 “... These bones are the whole House of Israel.
They keep saying; ‘... Our hope has gone. We are as good as dead
... The Lord YHVH says this: I am now going to open your graves. I
mean to raise you from your graves, My People, and lead you back
to the soil of Israel.” Verse 21 “I am going to take the sons of Israel
from the nations where they have gone. I shall gather them
together from everywhere and bring them home to their own soil. I
shall make them into one nation in My own Land and on the
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Mountains of Israel ... They will no longer form two nations, nor be
two separate kingdoms”. Verse 23 “They shall be My People and I
shall be their God”. Verse 14 “And you will know that I YHVH, has
said and done this” (according to the Covenant).
Surprisingly we still find people who maintain that the Jews are
permanently doomed, and that the continuing return of Jews to
Israel is not the fulfilment of the Covenant Promise of YHVH. They
apply the above prophetic description of revival to the historic
episode of the return of the Jews from Babylon, in the 5th century
before Messiah, and not to the current return of Jews to Israel from
all over the world.
Such reasoning does not seem to be consistent with Scripture. True,
there has been the return of Jews from Babylon to Israel after the
70-year exile in the 5th century before Messiah. But this was only
the tribes of Judah and Benjamin which were involved in this
particular instance. By then, the other ten tribes of Israel had
already been lost for two centuries. The above Scriptural reference
refers to the ‘whole house of Israel...’ and specifically to the joining
of the two divided HOUSES INTO ONE NATION ONCE MORE. Never
has there been a time in history when both the house of Judah (two
tribes), and the house of Israel (10 tribes), have returned to Israel
from the four corners of the earth, as predicted by the Prophet
Ezekiel in the above quotation from Scripture. It is indeed a miracle
of the future, even for us today (year 2000). (READ Ezekiel 37:15-
22 carefully)
YHVH has already started moving the Jews back to Israel since the
beginning of the 20th century. The city of Jerusalem has also been
re-established as the capital of Israel under loud protest of most of
the nations. Already Jerusalem has become the centre of
international dispute, with advances being made to internationalise
it, outside of the control of the Jews. The PLO claims control of
Jerusalem for the Palestinians, and the Arabs generally, are
determined to expel the Jews from the Land. Unknowingly, these
forces are actually challenging the authority of the Almighty! (Refer
"Declaring War on God")
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prophecies, will develop into a cataclysmic nuclear World War,
involving all the nations of the world - the War of Gog and Magog -
commonly referred to by the media and by leading militarists, as
the War of Armageddon.
YHVH promised this “Land of milk and honey” with a Holy Oath to
the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. True to His commitment in
the Covenant with Israel, YHVH will execute His part of the Covenant
exactly, to the smallest detail, and to the glory of His Holy Name.
Ezekiel 37:23 describes how YHVH will purify Israel (after their
return to the Land from all over the World - verse 24). YHVH will be
their Saviour and they will be His people - thus the Divine Covenant
will be fulfilled! We have already pointed out how that YHVH would
pour out His Spirit over Israel (“...to revive the dry bones...”), with
this one specific purpose : to enable them to perform their part of
the Covenant, i.e.. to keep His Laws, Judgments and Statutes. Once
again we see evidence and confirmation that His Spirit converts,
and enables us to obedience to His Law.
Ezekiel 37:24 - 26 “My servant David will reign over them, one
shepherd for all; they will follow My Observances, respect My Laws
and practise them. They will live in the Land that I gave My servant
Jacob, the Land in which your ancestors lived. They will live in it,
they, their children, their children’s children, for ever. David My
servant is to be their Prince for ever. I shall make a Covenant of
Peace with them, an eternal Covenant”
Another aspect comes into effect here, together with the re-
gathering of the nation, the outpouring of His Spirit, and the
entrance into a Renewed Covenant, i.e.. that King David will rule
over His people Israel eternally. This text appears to refer to king
David, the king of Israel long before the Messiah. If this were indeed
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so, it could well have brought doubts on whether the current
rebuilding of Israel is in fulfilment of a Divine interaction or not.
A. David's rule and their stay in the Land, was not eternal as
claimed in the Text, but discontinued;
B. Ezekiel, the writer of this passage here, only came on the
scene centuries after king David, and
C. The divided house of Israel (since centuries before Messiah),
has to this day not yet been reconciled, as this prophecy
proclaims. The return of Judah from all over the world - where
they have been scattered for 2000 years, is a miraculous
fulfilment of the past few decades. The return of the 10 lost
tribes, and their reconciliation with Judah is yet to come!
(a) The Bible itself refers to Paul’s writing style “which makes some
points in his letters hard to understand. These are the points that
uneducated and unbalanced people distort, in the same way as they
distort the rest of Scripture; a fatal thing for them to do. You have
been warned about this - be careful not to get carried away by the
errors of unprincipled people" (2 Peter 3:16,17). Refer also to
the comprehensive study on "Paul and the Law"
YHVH does not misdirect - chopping and changing all the time. He
repeatedly emphasises the fact that He will not change nor erase
His Word, His Law or the Covenant. If the “hard to understand”
writings of Paul are then interpreted by some as implying a change
or cancellation of the Covenant, whom will you listen to: YHVH or
the teachings of man? (READ! Mark 7:7. Also refer to the
enlightening study “In Vain” - which points out the fruitlessness of
choosing the teachings of man above the clear Word of YHVH).
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observance - Paul is definitely not referring to changes in the
Commandments, Precepts, Ordinances, and Judgments of the Divine
Covenant. At the time of his writing, the Sacrificial System was still
being observed by many of his Hebrew contemporaries.
Ezekiel 20:41 “... When I bring you out from among the nations; I
mean to gather you together from the foreign countries in which you
have been scattered. Through you I intend to display My Holiness
for all the nations to see. And you will learn that I am YHVH, when I
bring you back to the soil of Israel; to the Land I solemnly swore to
give to your fathers.”
When one realises how important it is in the Plan of the Almighty, to
return the descendants of Israel from all parts of the world to the
actual soil of their forefathers, one receives insight as to the crucial
importance for YHVH to fulfil His Promise. Unless YHVH literally
fulfils His plans, He faces charges of: being a deceiver; contravening
His own Divine Covenant; betrayal and desertion of His dependent
subjects. He will then also obviously lose respect from all the
nations, including Israel. In such a case Satan would be the victor in
his accusations against YHVH - and the human race hopelessly lost,
and eternally doomed!
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the Arafats, and Israel’s neighbouring Arab countries, who wish to
deny them ownership of the Land and of Jerusalem.
Now one can also understand the popular accusation against the
Jews of our time, that they are purportedly not the natural
descendants of ancient Israel, and why it is so popularly claimed
that the Jews are rejected and doomed forever by the Almighty
Himself. The forces of confusion and lies, are working hard to
present YHVH as unfaithful and untrue to His Promises !
In the same way and in the same spirit, the battle is raging to
remove Jerusalem from under Jewish control. So great will the
attack against Israel in the War of Armageddon be, that, in order to
protect Israel from total annihilation, the Almighty Himself will have
to intervene, fighting on the side of Israel, according to these clear-
cut Prophecies in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 and Zechariah 12 and
14. Note the references in these chapters, to the final Victory for
YHVH, in the sight of all the nations, as the Saviour and King of
Israel - true to all His Promises!
This scenario could easily have been fulfilled in the 1991 Iraq War,
had Israel retaliated. Twenty eight nations were in fact involved in
this war, which raged close to the borders of Israel. Many more
nations would have joined, had Israel entered into the war. For the
first time in modern history, Israel patiently tolerated more than 30
Scud missile attacks by Iraq without her normal retaliation. Israel
realised the danger of a major world war, should she enter the
battle.
Isaiah 24: 4 “... The world is pining, withering. The heavens are
pining away with the earth. The earth is defiled under its
inhabitants’ (all the nations’) feet, for they have transgressed the
Law, violated the Precept, broken the everlasting Covenant. So a
Curse devours the earth and its inhabitants suffer the penalty".
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repent from rebellion against His Law ... accept the proposal of the
eternal Covenant ... and live according to the Precepts, Ordinances
and Judgments thereof.
And as if not simple enough, the Almighty goes even a step further
in His ‘New Covenant’, and promises to enable the striving soul to
observe the eternal Covenant by the indwelling of His Spirit.
The 'Old' and the 'New' Covenant are merely descriptive titles
referring to two dispensations or two applications of the same
Everlasting Covenant. They differ from each other in one respect
only: YHVH indwells or possesses the individual by His Power or
divine Influence (i.e. His Spirit), in order that the individual
automatically realises the vital importance of a lifestyle subject to
His Law and committed to His Covenant. YHVH has sealed (signed)
this Covenant with His own Blood, shed on Golgotha under
humiliating circumstances, as opposed to the 'Old Covenant' which
was sealed with the blood of a sacrificial lamb. What more should
He do? How wonderfully tolerant and merciful is our Creator and
Saviour, the Almighty YHVH? Let us then be careful, not to
interpret His Grace as the "anulling" of His Law and His Covenant!
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Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call Heaven and earth to witness against
you today: I set before you Life or Death, Blessing or Curse. Choose
Life then, so that you and your descendants may live...”
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